Employers’ responsibility in investigating industrial accidents to be strengthened in Belarus
The procedure for investigating industrial accidents will change in Belarus from January 1, 2026. The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has approved a new instruction. Supervision will be carried out by the Department of the State Labor Inspectorate of the Ministry of Labor of Belarus.
According to the new rules, most accidents that occur during working hours will be investigated jointly with employers. Group cases, fatal accidents, and accidents that cause serious occupational injuries are subject to special investigation by state labor inspectors.
From 2026, the Department of the State Labor Inspectorate will get the right to hand over to employers the demands to eliminate of violations if they do not voluntarily correct the identified deficiencies. Failure to comply with the requirements entails the imposition of a fine in the amount of 10 to 50 base units (a nominal standard that is used to calculate the amount of certain state duties, taxes, payments and fines).
GCTU News
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GCTU Discusses Amendments to Confederation’s Charter
On September 15, Moscow hosted a meeting of the Working Group on Preparing Amendments and Additions to the Charter of the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU) at the Trade Unions Palace of Labor. Participants reviewed proposals from member organizations regarding necessary changes to the Confederation’s founding document.
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Wage Standards in the CIS Must Reach a New Level
On September 10, the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU) launched the development of a unified methodology for calculating the minimum consumer budget. The first meeting of the GCTU Executive Committee’s temporary working group on this initiative took place in Moscow.
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A Unified Registry of Collective Agreements Should Be Established in the CIS
A unified registry of collective agreements in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will enable the regulation of labor relations at a cross-border level, according to the General Confederation of Trade Unions. The proposal by GCTU to include the creation of such a registry in the draft Plan of Activities for the Year of Social Development and Quality of Life in the CIS was approved by participants of the working group of the Advisory Council on Labor, Employment, and Social Protection of the Population of the CIS Member States. The working group meeting took place today at the CIS Executive Committee in Minsk, using video conferencing.